Prayer

Loving Lord, as we continue our celebration of the season of Lent, we ask you to open our hearts and minds to the transformative power of your love. St. Paul affirms the power of hope because it is grounded in your love for us. Inspire us, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, to share your love with each other and become symbols of hope for a struggling world. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious God, you create each human being from the depths of your love. Open our eyes and our hearts, that we might see each other as fellow creatures of a loving God. Give us the courage and compassion to treat each other in ways that respect our inherent human dignity. In humility, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Purposeful God, today, we celebrate Employee Appreciation Day. May our celebration of this day affirm our desire to make a difference in the lives of others and clarify the kind of difference we want to make in the world. May this day serve as a reminder of the important relationship between employer and employee, between manager and managed, between leaders and the led. Give us the vision and the courage to be the best we can be and affirm the dignity of the work we do. In the name of the creator God, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of wisdom, too often in modern life, society discourages deep thought. Complex stories are presented in brief news pieces. The challenging issues we confront are reduced to bumper sticker slogans. Profound spiritual truths are trivialized and packaged in popular self-help books. Yet, Lord, you have blessed us with a mind capable of unending curiosity and a bottomless vault for the acquisition of knowledge. Help us develop a thirst for learning and a willingness to engage in deep thought. May our willingness to use the mind you have given us in the pursuit of wisdom help to craft conversations that will make the world a better place for all. In appreciation, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Ever-present Lord, our relationship with you is at the heart of our lives. Fill us with a longing to pray that, through prayer, you might continue to mold and shape us. May our relationship with you touch all aspects of our lives and stir within us a longing for right relationships with others. Help us to persevere in prayer and open our hearts and minds to your presence and love. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious God, this year has been challenging for us all. Some may be suffering from financial difficulties, others may be struggling emotionally and psychologically due to social isolation, still others suffer from the coronavirus itself, while others mourn the loss of loved ones. Fill us with your love, O Lord, that we might be filled with the persistence and perseverance needed to confront the challenges we face and maintain our hope for a better tomorrow. With trust, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Lord of goodness, in prayer, we reflect on the past year and the challenges and triumphs that have punctuated our shared experience. Each day, we pass milestones of time and suffering. Yet, we continue to be grateful for the dedicated service of so many working daily to build communities of health and safety, communities where neighbors reach out to help neighbors. As we continue to live in the shadow of pandemic, bless those who care for people who are sick, poor, and dying and provide us with hope in the human spirit and the possibility of the dawning of a new day. In gratitude, we pray. Amen.